Year retrospective · 1950s

1952

1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1952nd year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 952nd year of the 2nd millennium, the 52nd year of the 20th century, and the 3rd year of the 1950s decade.

Recorded events

10

top entries

Notable births

30

Notable deaths

30

Decade

1950s

Timeline

Defining events of 1952

  1. 1952 Bolivian National Revolution: Rebels take over Palacio Quemado.

    Revolution that occurred in Bolivia in 1952

    The Bolivian Revolution of 1952, also known as the Revolution of '52, was a series of political demonstrations led by the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR), which, in alliance with the liberals and the communists, sought to overthrow the ruling Bolivian oligarchy and implement a new socioeconomic model in Bolivia. Its main leaders were the former presidents Víctor Paz Estenssoro and Hernán Siles Zuazo. The MNR government after this Revolution lasted from 9 April 1952 until the coup of 4 November 1964.

  2. 1952 Pan Am Flight 526A ditches near San Juan-Isla Grande Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after experiencing an engine failure, killing 52 people.

    1952 aviation accident

    Pan Am Flight 526A, a Douglas DC-4, took off from San Juan-Isla Grande Airport, Puerto Rico, at 12:11 PM AST on April 11, 1952 on a flight to Idlewild International Airport, New York City with 64 passengers and five crew members on board. Due to inadequate maintenance, engine no. 3 failed after takeoff, followed shortly by engine no.

  3. 1952 First flight of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress.

    American strategic bomber aircraft

    The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American nuclear-capable subsonic jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) since 1955 and was flown by NASA from 1959 to 2007.

  4. 1952 Secretary's Day (now Administrative Professionals' Day) is first celebrated.

    Day to recognize secretaries and others

    Administrative Professionals Day is a day observed yearly in a small number of countries. It is not a public holiday in any of them. In some countries, it falls within Administrative Professionals Week.

  5. 1952 Dwight D. Eisenhower resigns as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO in order to campaign in the 1952 United States presidential election.

    World War II general, U.S. president from 1953 to 1961

    Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. A General of the Army, Eisenhower was the supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force. His successful leadership in Operation Torch (1942–1943) and Operation Overlord was pivotal to the Allied victory in World War II.

  6. 1952 The Treaty of San Francisco comes into effect, restoring Japanese sovereignty and ending its state of war with most of the Allies of World War II.

    1952 Japan–Allies peace treaty

    The Treaty of San Francisco, also called the Treaty of Peace with Japan, re-established peaceful relations between Japan and the Allies on behalf of the United Nations by ending the legal state of war, military occupation and providing for redress for hostile actions up to and including World War II. It was signed by 49 nations on September 8, 1951, in San Francisco, United States, at the War Memorial Opera House. Italy and China were not invited, the latter due to disagreements on whether the Republic of China or the People's Republic of China represented the Chinese people.

  7. 1952 The Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty (Treaty of Taipei) is signed in Taipei, Taiwan between Japan and the Republic of China to officially end the Second Sino-Japanese War.
  8. 1952 Pan Am Flight 202 crashes into the Amazon basin near Carolina, Maranhão, Brazil, killing 50 people.
  9. 1952 Hugo Ballivián's government is overthrown by the Bolivian National Revolution, starting a period of agrarian reform, universal suffrage and the nationalization of tin mines
  10. 1952 Japan Air Lines Flight 301 crashes into Mount Mihara, Izu Ōshima, Japan, killing 37.

Arrivals

Born in 1952

Simon Cowell 1952– British conservationist, TV presenter, and author (1952–2024)
Louka Katseli 1952– Greek economist and politician
Gerald Early 1952– American essayist and professor (born 1952)
Cheryl Gillan 1952– British politician (1952–2021)
Marilyn Chambers 1952– American pornographic actress (1952–2009)
Junkyard Dog 1952– American professional wrestler (1952–1998)
Muhsin Kenon 1952– American basketball player (born 1952)
Lisa Eichhorn 1952– American actress, writer, producer (born 1952)
Jenny Shipley 1952– Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1997 to 1999
Bob Casale 1952– American musician (1952–2014)
Harvey Fierstein 1952– American actor and playwright (born 1952)
Liam Neeson 1952– Actor from Northern Ireland (born 1952)

Farewells

Died in 1952

Steve Conway English singer (1920–1952)
Leslie Banks English actor (1890–1952)
Kenneth Edwards American golfer
Rudolf Margolius Czech lawyer and economist
Theodoros Pangalos Leader of Greece from 1925 to 1926
Sarah Ann Jenyns Australian entrepreneur (born 1865)
Paul Saintenoy Belgian architect, teacher, architectural historian, and writer
Luigi Fagioli Italian racing driver (1898–1952)
Mariano Azuela Mexican author (1873–1952)
Pierre Renoir French actor (1885–1952)
Steve Conway English singer (1920–1952)
Leslie Banks English actor (1890–1952)

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